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About Me

Here
I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international
consultants. About living in Italy, the Veneto area near Venice; in Indonesia,
central Java. Why we love the southeast of the United States and moved back from
Italy. Our love for gardening, the botanical way. Sharing with you our manifold
treasures from exotic places and even offering several in my Mariette's Back to
Basics LLC Boutique, for others to enjoy. As well as high end silver items from
Giovanni Raspini, Italy |
google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

I
also do classes and consulting... too much to list here! Check out my google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedderABOUT page, where you see my other LINKS and email address; you just scroll down.Thanks!

Love to
bring back some romance and quality to the daily life of others...

Friday, April 27, 2012

From France I like to show you these two vintage 1950s Camille Tharaud Limoges Lampe Berger with Violets. They both are in perfect condition, complete with brass crown, snuff cap and wick. One of them even has the older ajoured brass crown. Very rare and sought after collectors items. French Monsieur Gérald Vilcocq, did write the hardcover book: >Lampes Berger A Century of History.You don't need to go all the way to France but just shop on line at my Zen Cart on line Boutique Mariette's Back to Basicsfor these unique pieces. World-Wide Shipping!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Last year on March 26, I fell in love with a post by Rosabella la vie en rose ←(click it), about pine cones in the shape of a ROSE! After some research about this Himlayan Cedar I did find its botanical name: Cedrus Deodara. When their cones are mature, they disintegrate and the tops of the cones get pushed off and they resemble a rose. Look at images of: cedrus deodara rose cones ←(click it.

Pieter and I were over joyed when on Sunday, March 11 we found this very tree at the County Farm Plant Co, Inc. in Baxley, GA←(click it). Our best friend took us along and we hauled this tree back home with us. Those of you, lucky enough to live near our area, can get it there as well. They have excellent plants, shrubs and trees. Let's show you our new Cedrus Deodara...

It stands behind our pond, as it can become a HUGE tree with quite a diameter.

Here it is! My husband Pieter dug out a deep hole and filled it with potting soil and good top soil that he got at Home Depot. That is the best investment one can give any plant, shrub or tree. Our local soil is not very rich and has poor water holding capacity.

Looking forward to the time that we will grow our first Cedar Roses...

Does any of you have Cedar Roses in the garden? Please tell me all about them.

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Trachycarpus fortunei, or Windmill Palm, is one of the most cold hardy of the Palm trees. It also looks striking when it blooms. So those pictures I want to share with you here. This is actually a Chinese fan palm ←click it.

First picture is taken on March 24 against the back drop of our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold or Golden Live Oak.

On March 13, this is how it started with the blooms still inside a big bud.

March 24, with again in the back drop, to the left, our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold or Golden Live Oak. Sacha-girl, our cat is on the driveway.

Amazing what all comes out of such a closed bud!

Resembles sorghum here...

Very exotic!

March 28 now, more and more palm blooms.

Mother nature works wonders...

March 31...

A day with over cast on March 31, but what a colors. Below are some other links where you can see this beautiful palm, even in wintertime, during the ice storm.

Hope you enjoyed looking at one of our exotic looking evergreen trees.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Just like to show you a bit more from the flora that we found on the Caribbean Island of Curaçao while on vacation at the Hyatt Regency. We did a lot of walking around the Santa Barbara Plantation, Curaçao ←click it . Around this finest golf course and marina resort community in the Caribbean it is nice hilly.

Here I am standing in front of one of the many towering Kadushi cactus ←click it.

The Cereus Repandus ←(click it), better known as the Kasushi cactus is more like a multi-trunk tree with thousands of needles!

I do need some help with identifying this large leafed plant or shrub with its amazing flowers.

Any hint is appreciated as we are curious!

Pieter is showing you here the Acacia dealbata or Silver wattle, Mimosa←(click it) flowers. Did you notice that this shrub also does have needles? One better watches out for it can really hurt you.

When we visited the capital of Willemstad, we of course did go also to the floating market. Fresh fruits from Venezuela are being sold every day on the quay. We bought several varieties and here I want you to see the yummy Sweet Calabash, Sweet Cup or Calabasi. Botanical name: Passiflora maliformis.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

One more AJOUR sweater in a lace effect pattern, I'd like to show you. This is a 100% cotton one, so it can be worn over a longer period of time. I've slightly altered the pattern at the neckline.

Barty, our 8-year old male cat, is joining me into our garden.

On Monday, April 9, I read Willy's post about Twee breirollen or Two knitting-rolls as it used to be done in the 18th century. Different stitches, even up to one hundred, were done in one length. There were no magazines then. Even some 70 years ago it was done by the students and the stitches were written down in a book.

Look→ here| right click it, for Willy's post about those knitting rolls.

This knitting history story is also printed on the Ariadne magazine's page, from where I used this pattern.

Our weeping peach tree wears a protective cuff...

Wish those peach blossoms would stay longer...

Best colors of spring!

Detail of the AJOUR with Lace Effect. It was really a joy to knit this out of cotton.

Answering some readers' question about how I find time to do this, besides everything else, plus blogging... These sweaters were knit 'BB' or Before Blogging!

My neckline is done straight...

Okay, this is only helpful for readers in the Dutch language but it gives each one an idea.

For my MIA Missing In Action over the past four days, I will be catching up with you soon.

Welcome to all the new followers, I promise to visit you soon.

Today our new modem arrived and we had again Internet. Blogging via iPhone is nearly impossible so I've been very active doing other chores, like doing laundry and ironing.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

For quite a while I've been following and even more so, admiring a lady from the west coast, in Fallbrook, California. Her name is Christie Repasy from the blog Château de Fleurs ←click it) and the website Christie Repasy Designs ←click it. She surely is a Blogger I Admire!

Baby Blush, by Christie Repasy...

Christie has been featured in Romantic Homes ←(click it) and also on the Rachel Ashwell's television show.